What Is a Misplaced Modifier?

A misplaced modifier occurs when a describing word, phrase, or clause is placed too far from the word or group of words it is meant to modify, creating confusion or altering the intended meaning of the sentence.

Example of a misplaced modifier:

• “Covered in mud, my mother found my little brother.”

In this sentence, the modifier “covered in mud” is misplaced, as it seems to suggest that the mother is covered in mud, rather than the little brother.

To fix the misplaced modifier, place it closer to the word or phrase it is intended to modify:

• “My mother found my little brother, who was covered in mud.”

Now it is clear that the little brother, not the mother, is covered in mud.

How to fix a misplaced modifier

To fix a misplaced modifier, move the modifier closer to the word or phrase it is meant to modify. This will ensure that the meaning of the sentence is clear and logical.

Here are some examples of misplaced modifiers and their corrected versions:

Misplaced Modifier	Corrected Modifier
The cat was chased by the dog wearing a collar.	The cat was chased by the dog, which was wearing a collar.
She nearly drove for two hours.	She drove for nearly two hours.
The man served the dinner to the guests that was burnt.	The man served the dinner that was burnt to the guests.
The hiker spotted the eagle walking along the trail.	While walking along the trail, the hiker spotted the eagle.
I heard that my favorite band was playing on the radio.	I heard on the radio that my favorite band was playing.
The waiter served the steak to the customer on a silver platter.	The waiter served the steak on a silver platter to the customer.
The child ate the candy found in the drawer.	The child ate the candy that was found in the drawer.
She bought a car for her friend that was red.	She bought a red car for her friend.
The teacher almost failed every student in the class.	The teacher failed almost every student in the class.
The company hired the applicant with the best resume they could find.	The company hired the applicant they could find with the best resume.

Adverb placement

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. When using adverbs, it is important to place them correctly within a sentence to avoid misplaced modifiers.

Here are some examples of adverb placement and their corresponding meanings:

Adverb Placement	Meaning
She nearly missed all her deadlines last week.	She was close to missing all her deadlines but managed to meet them.
She missed nearly all her deadlines last week.	She missed most of her deadlines, with only a few exceptions.
The director only hired actors with extensive stage experience.	The director hired actors and did not take any other action (such as hiring crew members).
The director hired only actors with extensive stage experience.	The director hired actors who had a lot of stage experience, not those with little or no experience.
The team almost won every game this season.	The team came close to winning all their games but fell short in some.
The team won almost every game this season.	The team won most of their games, with only a few losses.
The chef only used organic ingredients in his dishes.	The chef used organic ingredients and did not take any other action (such as using non-organic ingredients).
The chef used only organic ingredients in his dishes.	The chef used ingredients that were organic, not those that were non-organic.
The company nearly doubled its profits in the last quarter.	The company was close to doubling its profits but didn’t quite reach that goal.
The company doubled its profits in nearly the last quarter.	The company doubled its profits in a period close to, but not exactly, the last quarter.
The student only submitted projects that were thoroughly researched.	The student submitted projects and did not take any other action (such as submitting incomplete projects).
The student submitted only projects that were thoroughly researched.	The student submitted projects that had been thoroughly researched, not those that lacked research.
The artist almost sold every painting at the exhibition.	The artist came close to selling all the paintings but had a few left unsold.
The artist sold almost every painting at the exhibition.	The artist sold most of the paintings, with only a few remaining unsold.

These examples demonstrate how the placement of adverbs such as “nearly,” “only,” and “almost” can significantly impact the meaning of a sentence, emphasizing different aspects of the action or the subject being described.

Ambiguous Modifiers

Sometimes, the placement of a modifier can create ambiguity, leaving the reader unsure of which word or phrase the modifier is meant to describe. To fix ambiguous modifiers, rephrase the sentence to make the meaning clear.

Ambiguous	Unambiguous
The girl watched the monkey with binoculars.	Using binoculars, the girl watched the monkey. The girl watched the monkey that had binoculars.
The customer complained to the manager with a stern voice.	Using a stern voice, the customer complained to the manager. The customer complained to the manager, who had a stern voice.
The hiker saw the bear walking along the trail.	While walking along the trail, the hiker saw the bear. The hiker saw the bear that was walking along the trail.
The teacher helped the student with the difficult question.	The teacher helped the student who had the difficult question. The teacher used the difficult question to help the student.
The man watched the bird with a telescope.	Using a telescope, the man watched the bird. The man watched the bird that had a telescope.
She sang to the child with a beautiful voice.	Using a beautiful voice, she sang to the child.She sang to the child who had a beautiful voice.
The chef cooked the pasta with the new recipe.	Using the new recipe, the chef cooked the pasta. The chef cooked the pasta that came with the new recipe.
The woman spoke to the audience with confidence.	With confidence, the woman spoke to the audience. The woman spoke to the audience that had confidence.
The detective investigated the suspect with great attention to detail.	With great attention to detail, the detective investigated the suspect. The detective investigated the suspect who had great attention to detail.
The team celebrated the victory with a trophy.	With a trophy, the team celebrated the victory. The team celebrated the victory that came with a trophy.

These examples show how the placement of modifiers can create ambiguity in sentences. In the ambiguous versions, it is unclear which noun the modifier is describing. The unambiguous versions clarify the meaning by either placing the modifier next to the intended noun or by rephrasing the sentence to eliminate the ambiguity.